Child&#39;s-vehicle construction



W. J. SLEFFEL.

CHILD'S VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION men FEB. 17.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

w. 1. SLEFFEL. CHILD'S VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 17,

1,354, 141. Patented se i; 28,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

h/ZZ/VEN a/E/ /'///'am fJ/c fe/ To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. SLEFFEL, OF LAKEWOOD, OHIO, ASSIG1\TOR TO THE KIRK LATTY MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CHILDS-VEHICLE CONSTRUCTION. 7

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. 'SLEFFEL, a citizen of the United States and a resident of Lakewood, county of uyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Childrens-Vehicle Construction, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other in- 'ventions.

The present improvements, relating, as

indicated, to childrens vehicles, are directed to the use of childrens toy automo "axle, and a steering wheel is provided for operating the front wheels, while it is usual to provide a metalor wood body of roughly the general lines of an automobile body. All of these parts are so assembled in order to give an approximate resemblance to a small automobile. 1

It is extremely difiicult to construct a vehicle ofthis sort which will be satisfactory. The frame and body have tobe of light wood and of relatively thin and flimsy materials, while the over-all length ,ofthe -vehicle is considerable, and itis almost impossible to provide sufiici'ent strength in the various parts to hold them rigidly together. Furthermore, they are subjected to very rough usage and are given almost no, care so that the parts quickly become loosened from eachother, and the many bolts and nuts, which necessarily haveto' be used, come out, with the result thatin a'very short time the'vehicle falls to pieces. t

It is'the, primary object of the present invention to provide avehicle of this type which will be-more simple to construct and more rigid when assembled than any heretofore made, and one in which theparts are so jointedtogether that there will be little liability of their coming apart. Other objects of the invention'are'theprovision of improved means for steering the vehicle and improved features of construction at various points. To the accomplishment of the fore- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 17, 1919. Serial No. 277,484.

going and related ends, said invention, then, conslsts of the means-hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

closed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanlcal forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings Figure l is a side elevation of my invent1on;- Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a'section' on the line 33, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44,

Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55,

Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a plan view partially in horizontal section of my. improved wheel spindle and steering mechanism; and Fig. 7 1s a section on the line 77, Fig. 6.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, the vehicle comprises a substantially rectangular open frame having slightly converging side members 1 connected together by means of transverse members 2 and 3. The side members 1 are made to converge slightly in order to narrow the frame down sufiiciently at the forward end to Permit of the mounting of the'steering mechanism, which will pres ently be described, between the frame and the wheels.

Mounted upon the frame, consisting of the members 1, 2 and 8, is an open metal body formed of pressed metal sheets, which are integrally jointed together. These sections, in which the body is made, are indi- .cated at 1, 5 and 6. These sections, when formed into the desired shape, are integrally joined at the seams 4 and 5,so that the body when assembled is. an integral solid pressed metal sheet without any securing bolts, screws, rivets or the like, which are liable to become loose and to cause the parts of the body to fall apart. This body is then set onto the frame with the lower edges of the body within, and in contact with, the upwardly extending flanges 7 of the side frame members 1, in the manner shown in Fig. 1. The body is then integrally joined, preferably by spot-welding, to the flanges 7 ofthe body members 1, and when thus assembled the body and frame are a single 'at their lowest portions,

integral structure. The front 8 of the body, which may be formed withcorrugations to represent the radiator of an automobile, is also integrally joined to the front section 4: of the "body in the same manner as sections are joined together. V The middle section 5 of the body, as may be termed the section that carries the dash cotter pins, and there are no nuts to work loose and fall off. Plates 35 are riveted to or curved cowl portion 9 is strengthened and braced by means of a metal strap 10, which is disposed on the insideofthe body. This strap is integrally welded to the section 5 and serves to stiffen the curved cowl portion of the body and keep it in the form desired;

In the rear portion of the body there is mounted a seat 11, which is supported on straps or braces 12 and 13,0f which there are two braces 13, one mounted at either side of the body and integrally joined thereto, while the brace 12 is mounted at the rear center of the body, thus providing three braced points ofsupport for the seat 11. At the upper ends the braces 12 and 13 have inwardly extending flanges, upon which the seat rests, and to which the side is integrally connected by being welded thereto, so that the seat also becomes an integral part of the body and frame.

fExtending downwardly from the .rear

portion of'the body are metal straps 15 of the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, on which, is pivotally mounted the drivingaxle 16, which isprovided with the usual eccentric portions 17 for receiving the connecting rods 18, which extendforwardly and carry the pedals 19.

"These connecting rods are attached at the pedals .toa-crank' 20, which is mounted in bent-over lugs 21 which are formed as a part of the transverse frame member 3.

The front axle 24 of the vehicle is mounted in metal straps 25, which are similar to the straps 15 and are attached in the same manner to the lower sides of the frame members '1.' This'axle '24: extends but a} slight distance beyond the frame'members 1, where it is flattened to carry vertically extending pins or rivets 26 to serve as axes for wheel spindles 27 The wheel spindles are round bars whichare bent and crimped about the pins 26 in-such a way as to prevent any disengagement,'as shown in Fig. 6,-and then extend rearwardly in parallelism, and at their ends are connected to atransversely extending member 28 for operating the V spindles in unison. The other ends'of the spindles 27 extend outwardly in line with the axle 24c and receive the hubs 29 of the forward wheels 30 of the vehicle. The extreme outer ends of the spindles are flattened and apertured to receive cotter pins 31 for holding the'wlieels on the spindles, while the cotter pinsand the end of the spindles the "other .while the wheels are securely fastened to the ends 'of'th'e spindles by means of the theflattened ends of the axle to cover and assistin inclosing thecrimped portions of the spindles, while the pins 26 may desirably consistofarivets which pass through plates 35 and the flattened portion of the axle, .(see Fig. 7).. r

Mounted in a short plate 42 extending "rearwardly fromthe centeror top portion of the brace 10 is a steering column 37 carrying. a steering wheel 38, this steering column at its lower end passing through "an aperture inthe center ofa transversely extending brace 39, which; is fastened at either end to the straps 25. At a point immediately beyond the brace39 the steering column extends downwardly, and this down- Wardly extending portion 40 is connected by means of a: short rod 41 to the "transverse rod 28 which connects'the rear ends of the spindles 27.1 Rotation of the steering column moves the rod 28. transversely of the frame and thus steers the front wheels of the vehicle inparallelism in exactly the "same way as inordinary automobile steering mechanism.-

I have 'found'that a vehicle so constructed is not liable to'come apart, is veryinexpensive to manufacture, and is sufficiently rigid throughout its frame and body to resist for along period-thevery hard usage and abuse to which such childrens vehiclesare subjected. 4 P Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the'one explained, change being made as regards the mechan sm herein LllSClOSBCl, provided the meansstated by any of the 'followingclaims or the equivalent of such -stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. Ina vehicle of the class described, the

combination of an axle havingvertical pins mounted adjacent either endthereof,-wheel spindles bent and crimped around said pins to swinghorizontally about the same, said spindles extending outwardly 'inline with .saidjaxle-froin said pins, and also rearwardly therefrom' in parallel relation, and wheels mounted on the outwardly extending portion of said spindles.

2. In a vehicle of the class described, the combination of. an axle having vertical pins mounted adjacent either end thereof, wheel spindles bent and crimped around said pins to swing horizontally about thesame, said spindles extending rearwardly in parallelism from said pins and extending outwardly 5 in line with said axle, the outer ends of said spindles being flattened and apertured to receive fastenin' means, Wheels mounted and fastened on such outwardly extending ends of said spindles, and an operating member connecting the rearwardly extending ends of said spindles.

Signed by me this 14th day of February,

WILLIAM J. SLEFFEL. 

